


'Till Death Do Us Part

by watanabae



Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: Cancer, F/M, Loss of Virginity, Out of Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2016-01-22
Packaged: 2018-05-15 12:17:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5785033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watanabae/pseuds/watanabae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hifumi visiting Celestia's room one night after she misses several classes changes one life and ends another.</p>
            </blockquote>





	'Till Death Do Us Part

Hifumi knew he wouldn't find a woman who liked him in his lifetime. He had already given up on finding one long before his time at Hope's Peak, and he was content with what he was stuck with. But that didn't mean he wasn't lonely; in fact, he was very lonely, even with his anime and drawings and manga, the things that he liked to read and draw.

He had few friends, and the ones that he did have rarely hung out with him. None of them understood what it was like to have to create stories for people (maybe Touko, but they didn't get along very well), so no one could have similar likes and interests. Hifumi knew that his friends couldn't really connect with him on a personal level, and he was fine with it. But he wanted to really connect with the one person in Hope's Peak that rarely spoke to him at all except when he was her slave.

Celestia Ludenberg.

He worshipped the black-haired beauty, the 'Queen of Liars', the SHSL Gambler. She was a cunning, secretive individual, but that's what he loved about her. She was rude to him in particular, calling him 'Porky' a lot and having him prepare her tea, but he had been used to mistreatment before Celestia came along. Outside of his assistance, the two rarely spoke to each other, and when they did she produced harsh words and he usually ran off before he got too offended.

Hifumi sat in his bedroom, the wood boards holding up his bed creaking beneath his weight as he contemplated what he was to do. It was Thursday evening, school was over for the day, and the otaku was bored out of his mind. He had finished writing his most recent manga, illustrating and all, and it was due to be published any day soon. He was tired of waiting, and he was also tired of being alone, so he stood from his bed and went to _her_ room, where he hoped he would be needed. 

It was a short walk to Celestia's room. She hadn't been attending classes for a few days, under the personal claim of 'feeling under the weather'. As good of a liar as she was, Hifumi knew that something could've been terribly wrong, so visiting her was necessary. Upon arriving at the door, he knocked on her door three times, stepping back so she could open the door. He waited a few seconds before the doorknob turned, and Celestia pulled open the door. A smile instantly appeared on her face, and Hifumi gasped in abject horror. "Celestia-sama!"

The gambler's pale face was even paler than usual, and dark circles were visible under her eyes. Her usual Gothic Lolita dress had been abandoned for a short black nightgown, and her arms and legs were abnormally skinny. She wasn't wearing her hair drills, and her short hair seemed matted and thin. "What... What happened to you?" he stammered, and her smile vanished almost instantly. "Yamada-kun, please, come in." Completely ignoring his question, she opened the door a bit wider, and Hifumi squeezed his way through the doorframe.

She shut the door behind him, and he turned around to face her. "Celestia-sama, what happened to you? You were so beautiful before, and now... well, you're still beautiful, but-..." He cut himself off before he made an even bigger fool of himself, a blush quickly appearing on his cheeks, and Celestia giggled softly. "I have something to tell you, Yamada-kun. It... It isn't good, if it tells you anything." She sat down on the bed, and she patted the spot next to her. "Please, have a seat."

Hifumi quickly sat down without a word, and the gambler placed her hands on her lap, her eyes looking away from him. "Yamada-kun... I haven't attended class very much lately, as you may know. I... I seem to have fallen ill, but only recently has it began to have an impact on my life here." "Why? I've missed you," he said genuinely, and Celestia smiled softly, grabbing a tissue from her bedside table and wiping her eyes with it before the tears came. "You care for me, which makes this even harder to do."

"Celestia-sama, I consider you my friend. I want to know what is troubling you. My expertise in comfort from all of the comfort manga scenes I have written have left me a wonderful consoler," he offered, and she giggled slightly and looked up at him, her eyes welling up with tears for the first time since Hifumi and Celestia met. The otaku held out his hand silently, and she grabbed it as she wiped her eyes again and inhaled a shaky breath.

"I-I have leukemia."

Hifumi held back a gasp as she tossed the tissue to the side and placed her other hand on top of his, tears running freely down her pale cheeks. "I don't have much time left. T-They found it far, far too late; treatment won't save me." "Celestia-sama... D-Don't tell me you're going to _die_?" he stammered, and she nodded quickly. "I'm so sorry, Yamada-kun... I-I didn't want it to end this way." The otaku shook his head. "Celestia-sama, it's alright. I didn't want it to end like this either..."

Hifumi was shocked at the amount of vulnerability Celestia was showing at the moment. She was trembling, her eyes shut and her hands still grasping his. It hurt him to see her so upset, especially now that she was going to pass away, and he squeezed her hands with his own and rubbed his thumb along the top of her hand. "Don't cry, Celestia-sama. It'll be alright, I'm sure." "N-No, it won't! I'm going to _die_ , Yamada-kun! Don't you understand?!" She yanked her hands out of his and wiped her eyes angrily. "And... B-Before I die... I want you to know something."

"What is it?" Hifumi asked, and Celestia smiled slightly, looking him straight in the eye with a slightly afraid look, something Hifumi had never seen on her before. "My name... I-It's not really Celestia Ludenberg; that's just a-a cover name, as my work can lure the police." "Oh, really? I never would have guessed it. What's your real name?" he questioned curiously. "It's... It's Yasuhiro. Yasuhiro Taeko," she answered, and the otaku couldn't help but smile a little bit. "That's a very lovely name."

"I disagree with that statement; that's partially why I changed it in the first place," she said dryly, wiping her eyes yet again with a soft chuckle. "I dislike my name, as it's the one my father had. He isn't a very good person." "You are different from your father. You have carried a better legacy then he has, assuming he carried a bad one," Hifumi said seriously, grabbing one of her hands in his and squeezing it. "So, do you prefer Yasuhiro-san, or Yasuhiro-chan? Or perhaps even Yasuhiro-sama?"

"For you, personally, I would prefer Taeko-chan," she answered lightly, and Hifumi nodded. "Okay then. I must say, I like the sound of that better anyways," he said with a smirk, and the gambler smiled. "Yamada-kun, I want you know another thing. I could...pass away any day now, and I wish not to leave anything unsaid, or undone." Taeko removed her hands from Hifumi's and scooted closer to him, climbing up on her knees and wrapping her frail arms around his neck in an embrace. "Thank you."

Hifumi, surprised by the sudden gesture of affection, sat still for a moment, before finally wrapping his arms around her body, careful not to hurt her or to cause her discomfort. He felt the first tears well up in his eyes, as he knew this would likely be the only hug he would ever share with the gambler he adored. "Why are you thanking me?" he asked, and Taeko rested her head on his shoulder. "I was horrible to you, but you never left me, not once. I never imagined I would be the sentimental, or feel this way about you, but... Ah, thank you for that."

"There's no need to thank me; I was simply doing my duty for the only lady that I ever enjoyed being around," Hifumi admitted, and Taeko's cheeks turned a light pink. "I imagine that you loved your mother." "She didn't support what I wanted to do with my life. So no, not really," he mumbled, and she removed her head from his shoulder and looked him dead in the eye. "Never listen to those people. It's _your_ life, and I want you to do what you want with it. Cheesy indeed, but truthful."

Hifumi smiled happily. "I never thought you'd say that." "Neither did I." Both of them laughed wholeheartedly, but Taeko's laughter was cut short by a harsh cough after a few seconds, and Hifumi immediately rubbed her back to ease them. She stopped after a few seconds, and she brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face with a heavy sigh. "I apologize for that, Yamada-kun." "No, no, it's fine. I don't mind it," he said quickly, and she nodded slowly in confirmation.

Hifumi didn't want Taeko to be upset about her leukemia, as he wasn't the kind of person to wish harm on another. He was one to comfort, so he reached out his hand and grabbed one of hers. "Taeko-chan, there's no need to apologize for your symptoms. Sadly enough, there is no avoiding it, so apologizing is unneeded." "I know, Yamada-kun. I feel bad for this, because you have no choice but to _watch_ as I suffer from this. I'm so tired lately, yet I can barely sleep, I hardly eat, and I cannot attend classes because of all of this, and no one can do anything about it," she said sadly.

She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder, a small yawn escaping her lips. "And I'm still a virgin too," she mumbled dryly, and without even thinking Hifumi spoke up. "I could change that." He immediately regretted his words as he said them, and she glanced up at him in surprise. "Hm... Maybe." He felt his cheeks grow warm in embarrassment from his statement, and Taeko giggled slightly at the sight of him. "If I'm being truthful... I would be okay with that. Prefer you over anyone else, really."

"I'd crush you."

"Perhaps not."

"Most definitely."

"I will die anyways. It won't matter."

"Don't think like that."

"Why not?"

Hifumi glanced down at her, a small smirk on her face, and he couldn't help but feel himself smile. He personally had no experience with what she was suggesting, but he knew he had to make her happy one last time before she passed away. "If you really want to, I will happily oblige. But I must warn you: seeing me with no clothes on may just kill you anyways." She then, much to his surprise, laughed rather loudly, and this caused Hifumi to laugh as well.

Before they knew it, they were both doubled over in laughter (Taeko's symptoms thankfully taking a rest), and the otaku silently thanked God that the rooms were soundproof, as people would likely think they were crazy. Taeko soon wiped her eyes of the tears from her laughter, and she scooted back from Hifumi a bit. "Well... I believe we may begin. Go, remove that silly button-up already. I much prefer your regular outfit opposed to that," she smirked. Hifumi instantly unbuttoned the white shirt and pulled it back, causing Taeko to grab the bottom of her nightgown and pull it up, tossing it across the room and into a corner.

Hifumi discovered that the real world was just as good as the 2D one within the hour.

Both of them were soon exhausted beyond belief, completely in the nude and beneath the covers of her bed. Taeko glanced over at him, a wide grin spread across her sweaty face. "That... Yamada-kun, I enjoyed that thoroughly. Are you... sure that was your first time?" "Indeed... I would never lie of such things," he replied with a laugh, and she sighed happily. "Thank you... It means everything..."

"No need, Taeko-chan... It was my pleasure," Hifumi mumbled, turning his head to look at her. His size enabled him to see all of her clearly, because the blankets were hardly covering her up, and it pained him to see how skinny she actually was. "Yamada-kun, I have... one final request, just for tonight." She turned her entire body to face him, her hands moving beneath her head and an embarrassed look on her face. "Do you mind... staying in here, until I fall asleep? I-I want to sleep, but I don't want to sleep and never wake up... I-I am afraid..."

Hifumi nodded quickly, standing up from the bed and pulling his pants back on. He sadly couldn't stay in her room for the night, but the least he could do was stay until the Night Time announcement from the Headmaster. "Of course. Just let me put my clothes on real quick," he answered, and it took him a record time of less than five minutes to put all of his clothes back on, shoes and all. Taeko was already standing from the bed, having already put her nightgown back on. He turned to face her with a small smile, drawing back the disheveled blankets and gesturing to it with his free hand.

"Climb in." She immediately climbed into the bed and beneath the blankets, allowing Hifumi to pull them back over her and smooth them out. He then sat on the floor next to her, and she reached out a hand to hold his. "You're far too kind, Yamada-kun." "Nah. I don't want you to be unhappy at a time like this, and besides, I care too much for you," he said with a smile, and she rolled her eyes. "Cannot imagine why. I'm horrible to you." "Used to it."

"...No one should be used to mistreatment," she mumbled. "I feel horrible about it. I'm sorry." "It's alright. I forgive you, I _have_ forgiven you. No need to worry about it," he accepted gratefully. Taeko looked at the floor a moment before looking at Hifumi with a curious expression. "Say, I have a proposal for you." "What kind of proposal?" he questioned, and she smiled slightly. "We rarely even touched each other with our lips except for on our bodies. I want to change that."

"How would you-" Hifumi's sentence was cut short as Taeko leaned towards him and pressed her lips against his own, sending chills down his spine and fireworks in his heart. He had never kissed any woman other than his mother—possibly his sister—and he had always been too nervous to ask one to kiss him, so he was surprised when she kissed him first. But it felt fantastic; her lips fit his like a puzzle piece, they were soft and warm despite her condition, and he felt on top of the world for the five seconds they were kissing.

Taeko was the one to pull back, and she stared at him with a faint, tired smile, and Hifumi was at a total loss for words. "Yamada-kun... I have liked you a while now, as more than as butler-ship, or even a friendship." "I've felt that way since the day we met," he confessed, and Taeko frowned regrettably. "It is unfortunate that we didn't know sooner; perhaps we could have issued a relationship, where we could do things like this more often." "I've dreamed of that for a while now," he admitted. "I never imagined someone like you would want to do such a thing."

"You'd be surprised." She poked his ahoge, which bent slightly at her touch, and she lied back down on the bed with a yawn. "I'm so tired, Yamada-kun... I want to wake up tomorrow, so we can...make this work, if only for a while." "And when you do, we'll do just that," he promised, and she smiled slightly as she closed her eyes, sighing contently as Hifumi continued to hold her hand. "Come back here...tomorrow, before breakfast. I want to see you again..."

"I will," he assured, and she nodded slowly, and it took only a matter of minutes before her hand slipped out of his grasp, meaning she had fallen asleep. Hifumi couldn't help but smile as he released her hand and moved it back underneath the covers. Standing up, he looked back at how peaceful—yet ill—she looked, and he smiled as he exited her room and retreated to his own, where Yasuhiro was just returning. "Ooh, Yamada-chi! Were you visiting Celestia-chan?"

"Indeed, Hagakure-dono," Hifumi answered, and Yasuhiro frowned slightly. "You're aware of her... condition, right dude?" "I just learned about it tonight, but yes," the otaku said, using his e-Handbook to scan his door's lock. "I never would've predicted such a thing. I hope she's alright," Yasuhiro mumbled. "Well, goodnight, Yamada-chi!" The normal perk in his voice returned as the fortune teller entered his room and shut the door behind him. Hifumi sighed as he stepped into his own room.

He hoped the same thing.

* * *

Hifumi woke up as the morning announcement was ending. It was around 7:05, and he sprung out of bed to get ready before he was due to the cafeteria for breakfast at 7:45. He showered, brushed his teeth and his hair, and put on a clean uniform before he exited his room. He thought it was a personal record for getting ready, but that wasn't at all important. But what was important was that he got to Taeko before breakfast.

He pulled open his door, making sure he had his book bag and his e-Handbook, before walking to Taeko's room and stopping in front of the door. He knocked on it three times with his knuckle, and he stood back so she could open the door. But after around a minute of waiting, he heard nothing inside, and the door still wasn't open. Hifumi, immediately growing afraid for the gambler, reached for the doorknob and tried to pull on it to open the door. But it wouldn't budge due to being locked.

The otaku felt himself begin to panic, horrified by the realization, because the students hardly ever locked their doors at night, and he looked around the hallway for someone to help get the door open. He didn't care if he got in trouble, or even kicked out of the school, but Taeko was much more important to him than the school. The first door that opened was Mondo's, and he stepped out, completely dressed and still tired looking. "Oowada-dono!" Hifumi called, and the biker glanced over at the sound of his name. "Hm? Yamada-kun, you okay?"

"No! Ta- Celestia-sama, her door, i-it's locked. Help me get it open, please," he begged, and Mondo instantly knew why the otaku was so upset. "Oh, oh _crap_! Okay, I'm comin'!" He rushed over to the door and pulled on the doorknob, cursing beneath his breath when he realized it was locked. "Ya want me to kick it down?!" he shrieked, and Hifumi nodded. "I know you know about her condition, Oowada-dono; she may need us! You're not just going to let her _die_ , are you?!"

Mondo, looking surprisingly frazzled by the otaku's outburst, nodded quickly, and he stepped back and kicked the door as hard as he could. They both heard the wood snap within the door, but the door wasn't broken. The biker didn't hesitate to kick it again, and again, and again, and before he knew it there was no damage to the door other than the snap of the wood in the door. "It's not workin'!" Mondo said angrily, and they both turned at the sound of an annoyed-looking Sakura opening her door, still in her pajamas.

"What on Earth do you think you're doing?" she growled, and Hifumi held his hands in defense. "Celestia-sama's door is locked, Oogami-dono... She may need us." The martial artist instantly looked over at the door, and she nodded knowingly. "I will be right over. Allow me to get dressed first." She shut her door again, and Mondo continued to try and kick the door down until she returned seconds later. She stood back and kicked the door as hard as she could, surprisingly barely causing any damage except for snapping wood within the door.

"How tough is this door?!" Hifumi screeched worriedly, and both Mondo and Sakura began to ram their feet into the door, eventually causing a small hole to appear. The pair didn't stop kicking until another hole appeared, a bit larger than the last, and Mondo kicked in between the holes and made a giant one. Before anyone could kick it again, Hifumi ran back against the wall and charged towards the door in a fit of rage from how long it was taking, and the door collapsed beneath his weight and landed in Taeko's room. Both Mondo and Sakura watched in surprise as Hifumi stood up, brushing himself off before screaming in horror.

On the floor in front of the bed, Taeko's body laid on its side, her eyes closed and her knees drawn to her chest. Her eyes were closed, and a pained expression was on her face. Hifumi immediately rushed over to her, falling to his knees as he began to shake her as hard as he could. "Taeko-chan! Wake up! Don't act like you're sleep, this isn't a joke!" he screamed, tears already welling up in his eyes. He checked for a pulse, only to not find one, and he shook her even harder. "Taeko-chan! Please, this cannot happen! TAEKO-CHAN!" Both Mondo and Sakura, despite not knowing why he was calling her 'Taeko-chan', knew what had happened to the gambler, and both of them watched in sorrow as Hifumi cried for his lost friend.

He then turned around to face the pair, his expression turning furious through his tears. "What're you doing just standing there?! Find the Headmaster!" Neither of them moved at first, too surprised to anything, but Hifumi grew even more angry. " _GO_!" Both of them immediately began to sprint down the hallway in the direction of the Headmaster's office, and Hifumi looked at Taeko with tears falling out of his eyes. "T-Taeko-chan... Please, d-don't go... This can't happen," he wailed, resting his head on her hip as he sobbed uncontrollably, grieving over her loss.

Taeko was gone.

Hifumi didn't want to believe she had lost her battle to cancer, when he had only found out the day before. He didn't want to believe that he would never hear her voice again. He didn't want to believe that they wouldn't be able to pursue a relationship. He didn't want to believe that he never got to tell her how he _truly_ felt about her. He sat up slowly and wiped his eyes, looking at her with a sad expression. He crawled over to where her head was and sat with his legs crossed, brushing a stray piece of hair out of her face and behind her ear.

She was still beautiful.

A sudden noise where the door used to be caused him to turn around, and he spotted the Headmaster rushing through the doorway, with Sakura and Mondo in the hall behind him. "Oh my word, what happened here?!" he shouted, crouching down next to Hifumi with a horrified expression. "S-She's dead," the otaku mumbled, and Jin looked over at him with sorrow. "...It was the leukemia, wasn't it?" Hifumi nodded, and the Headmaster ran a hand through his hair with a deep frown. "I take it she was a good friend of yours..."

"...Friends seems like a suitable term," Hifumi agreed, and Jin nodded slowly. "Well, I am deeply sorry for your loss, Yamada-kun. Yasuhiro-chan was a lovely individual." "I'd tell the others about her real name; I was the only one who knew," Hifumi suggested, and the Headmaster nodded. "Indeed. Now, I must make the announcement for this so classes don't begin, and a small funeral procession for everyone here will begin shortly after. Do you think you could... bring her to it? I will inform her family as well.

"Yeah, sure." The Headmaster stood from the floor and left the room without another word, mumbling something to the students outside before leaving, and Sakura and Mondo stepped into the room. "Listen, man, I'm sorry about Yasuhiro-san. I know you two were close," Mondo apologized, and Sakura nodded. "I send my deepest condolences." "Thank you. I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier; this is just... hard for me to come into terms with," Hifumi sniffled, turning around and leaning against the bed's frame. "She and I... W-We were going to try and be together. W-We kind of had something going a-already..."

"It's unfortunate it had to end so suddenly," the martial artist said sadly, and the otaku sighed heavily. "Most definitely." "What did ya have goin'? If ya don't mind me askin'," Mondo questioned, and Hifumi shook his head. "No, no, i-it's fine. Taeko-chan and I... I-I certainly didn't expect it from her perspective, but from _mine_? Heck, I thought she was the greatest thing in the world." He sighed. "But when she told me, l-last night... I think we both lost it..."

He inhaled deeply, releasing the breath as he looked over at Taeko. "She told me her real name, and that she was a virgin and felt something towards me... W-We made love... And she kissed me." "You made love last night?" Sakura questioned, and Hifumi looked at her and nodded. "I didn't dare make her unhappy during a time like this. It was what she wanted, so I-I did the best I could." "You couldn't've stayed in her room any later than that if you're tellin' us everythin'. Did you leave after that?" Mondo asked. "I stayed until she fell asleep, and then... I left," Hifumi explained, and he looked over at Taeko as more tears welled in his eyes.

"I-I should've stayed in here." "This isn't your fault, Yamada-kun, nor will it ever be. Cancer is something you cannot control," Sakura argued, and the otaku shook his head. "Look at her face. S-She was in pain, Oogami-dono. I-I could've comforted her, if not just a bit." Mondo and Sakura glanced at her face, spotting her pained expression and frowning a little. "You cared for her, didn't ya? Takes a real man to do that, even if she was mean to ya," Mondo pointed out, and Hifumi nodded. "I-I was in love with her, after all."

Both Sakura and Mondo gasped as Hifumi wiped his eyes hurriedly, trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to spill. "A-And she never knew. I-It wouldn't help anything, and it would o-only hurt her even more. I-I couldn't bring myself to do that t-to her." Hifumi clenched his fists in anger. "I-I should've told her... S-She deserved t-to know..." He looked away from his classmates and buried his face in Taeko's mattress in shame.

"It is alright, Yamada-kun. Don't fret over something like this; you must carry on!" Sakura encouraged, and the otaku shook his head. "H-How do you carry on f-from the only person you ever loved _dying_?!" "You're willin' to act like you're the only one. I went through the same thing with Daiya!" Mondo grumbled, and Hifumi glanced over at him in surprise. "Oh... I-I'm sorry that I forgot." "Nah. People usually do, I don't care. Look man, Yasuhiro-san wouldn't want ya actin' like this, and I knew Daiya didn't either. I got a hold o' myself."

Mondo stepped around the door and sat on the floor next to Hifumi. "She would want ya to do the same." The otaku glanced over at him, and he leaned up slightly and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "Y-You sure?" "Mmhm," Mondo hummed with a nod. "Now get up and stop cryin'. I ain't good in these situations anyways." Hifumi chuckled slightly, and he nodded knowingly as he sat up completely. "I-I can try." "One step closer to succeeding," Sakura said wisely, and Hifumi and Mondo both nodded in agreement.

The academy's bell rung, signaling the morning announcements, and Jin began to speak to everyone, his tone grim. " _Good morning, my students and staff. We have unfortunate news, regarding one of our Ultimate students, who has sadly passed away due to leukemia some time this morning. Taeko Yasuhiro, also known as Celestia Ludenberg, was our Ultimate Gambler, and she leaves behind several friends and family members. In lieu of classes today, a small funeral procession will occur for any staff or students that knew Miss Yasuhiro. If you didn't know her, please meet up in the gym for further details. Everyone here at Hope's Peak Academy is sending our deepest condolences to the loved ones of Miss Yasuhiro. If our bearer would kindly bring her to the garden to prepare. Everyone, if you would stand outside the dorms and classrooms to respect Miss Yasuhiro, that would be wonderful._ "

The Headmaster hung up the intercom, and Hifumi glanced over at Mondo and Sakura with a nervous look. "Well, I-I suggest going to your rooms. I don't want you to get in trouble or anything." Mondo stood up from the floor with a shrug. "Eh. I've been in trouble enough, I'm used to it." He placed a comforting hand on Hifumi's shoulder before he and Sakura left, and the otaku looked over at Taeko's body. He reached over and placed his arms beneath her knees and arms, lifting her off the ground and standing up on his own.

He then stepped out into the hallway and saw all of his friends outside their dorms, watching in sorrow as Hifumi carried her out in the hallway for everyone to see. Most of them showed sympathetic looks, and some were already crying over her death, such as Chihiro and Aoi. He simply a gave sympathetic look everyone else, then he made his way down the hall towards the stairs. Several teachers gave him sympathetic looks, even the ones for the Reserve Course, and he simply nodded at them before reaching the stairs and climbing up them to the garden.

Jin was already there, and he turned to Hifumi as he arrived. "Hello, Yamada-kun. I hope you are alright with how this is set up; we were sure she would like it." Hifumi looked around to see lots of bouquets of black roses—Taeko's favorite kind of flower—and an elegant white table sat in the middle, covered in various flowers (almost all dark colored) and a few leaves in certain places, where he assumed Taeko's body would be placed. Several black wooden chairs were placed in front of the table. "It was a rushed thing; we didn't expect her to pass away so suddenly," Jin explained.

"No," Hifumi mumbled, turning to the Headmaster with a small nod. "It looks amazing. She would have loved it, I'm sure." Jin smiled. "Wonderful. Well, if you couldn't tell, the table with all of the flowers on it is for Yasuhiro-chan to be placed on. If you don't mind, would you place her there? I have to get some teachers to head to the gym to deal with the Reserve Course students and get your friends to all come up here." Hifumi nodded again as Jin left the garden area, and he turned to the table with the flowers on it.

He carried Taeko to the table and placed her body on it, shivering at how cold her skin was already. He adjusted her to where she was in the very center of the table, then he folded her hands across her lap. He grabbed one of the red roses from the table's flowers and placed it in her hands, the bud sitting upright and the petals moving outward. He smoothed out her nightgown before stepping back, admiring the gambler with a tearful smile. Then he walked back up to her and sniffled.

"I'm very sorry, Taeko-chan," he mumbled. "I should have been there for you in this time of need. I deeply regret not getting to your room any sooner than I did, and I hope you can forgive me for such a thing." He reached over and adjusted the rose again as he continued to speak. "I know you were scared that this would happen. But this is what life is, and I wish I could have been more involved in your own when you were alive. I... I miss you a lot, even though you haven't been dead that long. I miss your existence, because I know there will be no one else like you in this world. And I must say..."

Hifumi removed his fingers from the rose. "...I love you. I've loved you since the first day we met, since your first harsh words towards me, since our very first encounter. I thought you were beautiful from my first sighting of you, but I could never say a thing about it yesterday. Y-You were my best friend, for me, a-and I'll never forget you, Taeko-chan." He backed away before he completely lost it, and he sat in one of the chairs, placing his head in his hands and sighing shakily.

He knew Taeko's death had already screwed him up. He wasn't at all prepared for coping with it, as he was sure that she'd survive a bit longer, and he was positive he would struggle with it. But he remembered what Mondo said, about carrying on, and he knew that Taeko wouldn't want him crying his eyes out just because she was dead. She would've wanted him to do better things, to carry on, just like Daiya wanted with Mondo.

But God, it would be difficult to do.

He didn't know how long he sat there, grieving as hard as he could possibly do so, before the others finally arrived, and he stood up, greeting them in as positive a voice as he could muster at a time like that. The only one that didn't seem too overly upset was Byakuya, but Kyoko informed Hifumi that the heir was upset, but chose not to show it.

The funeral proceeded as funerals always did—Jin stood at the front and spoke a few words about Taeko's accomplishments and the impact she had on the school. The others had an opportunity to speak, and Kyoko went up and said that she was a kind person despite her greedy tendencies. Byakuya simply said that if he had to give all of his money to anyone, it would've been her.

And then it was Hifumi's turn.

He stood at the podium, Taeko's body to his right and his classmates in front of him, and he inhaled deeply, gripping the edge of the podium to keep his emotions in check. "Taeko-chan... She was a person that cannot even be described by mere words. She was someone that I cherished and adored more than my own family, more than my profession or my fans, and I felt these feelings with a heavy heart, as I never imagined in my life that she, my opposite, would ever feel the same way.

"But when I saw her for the final time last night, it occurred to me that not only did she return the feelings of love, she returned them stronger than I ever would have imagined. She was a kind soul, with, as Kyoko stated, greedy tendencies. And, despite not knowing the story behind those tendencies, I'm sure that they were somewhat good ones.

"Taeko-chan was the only person that I have met that I could have seen myself marrying someday. Not a single person on this planet will ever be as special as her, for she is my life—or rather, she was. I cannot imagine what I would be like if not for her, but I do know that I would be totally different. She.... S-She will be missed by _so_ many, including me."

Hifumi finished his speech with tears blurring his vision and his hands shaking, and as the others applauded him as he returned to his seat, he tried to compose himself as Aoi rubbed his back and told him that his speech was beautiful and touching with tears in her eyes. He could hardly even nod as Jin concluded the funeral and said something about Taeko being sent back to her home for her second funeral and her proper burial.

The other students left the garden, one by one, until Hifumi was the last one, still close to tears and thinking in his head that he would never stop being close to them. The smell of the roses—the beautiful smell of _real_ roses—filled his nose as he sat up, bringing him back to the world he was suffering in. He climbed up from his seat, his legs shaking, and he turned around to leave.

He saw Taeko standing in front of the exit, her eyes shining with a newfound life, brighter than ever, and a black dress hung loose around her frame, making her look stunning. Hifumi could only stand in shock as she lifted a hand and waved, smiling softly as her fingers danced on her hand. Hifumi, overcome with shock, could only smile back, and Taeko lowered her hand as quickly as it was up, mouthing four words to him that made him fall to his knees and start bawling.

"I loved you, too."

And then, without a trace, she was gone.


End file.
